Door operator



E D A A B H noon OPERATOR Filed June 19, 19w

2 Shets-Shet 1 INVENIOR. hzwer Bar-205 ATTORNEY.

Man-d126, 1940. H.YBAADE 2,194,732

noon OPERATOR .Filed June 19. 19:57 i 2 Sheets-Sheet; 2

I mvsm'ox. hZ- /er 5000:

ATTORNEY. I

Patented Mar. 26, 1950 UNITED STATES 2,194,782 noon ornna'roa Henry Baade, South Bend, Ind., assignor to Ben- I dix Products Corporation. South Bend, Ind. a

corporation oi Indiana Applicationlune 19, 1937, Serial No. 149,058

2 Claims. 01. 186-82) This invention relates to "control devices, and more particularly to door controls. 7 An. object of the invention is to provide automatically operative means for closing the door of a motor vehicle and maintaining the door closed during operation of the vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a control for the door of a motor vehicle so interlocked with the power plant and transmission of the vehicle that upon actuation of the transmission the door is automatically closed. Another object of the invention is to provide a control for the door of a motor vehicleso interconnected with the power plant and transmission of the vehicle that under normal operations of these instrumentalities the door is automatically closed and maintained closed; and yet may be opened and closed at the will ofthe operator.

Other objects and. advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings forming p a part of this specification, and in which:

7 a Figure 1 is a vertical sectional'view ot a motor vehicle partly brokenaway illustrating the invention as applied;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the vacuum actuated device and electrically actuated control the control details of the invention, I0 represents apowerf plant or an internal combustion engine which may be of any type suitable for propelling a vehicle. The engine has a conventional intake manifold l2 and associated with the engine is a clutch I 4 controlled as by a foot pedal lever ii. Y The engine also has associated therewith a transmission I 8 which may be of any preferred type operated by a conventional shifting lever 20.

' The vehicle has a body 22 providedwith a front compartment having the usual floor board 24 and a toe board 26. The floor boardhas an opening for the reception of the shifting lever 20, and the toe board has an opening for the reception of the clutch pedal lever IS. The

compartment also has an opening through which the operator of the vehicle and the passengersmay enter and depart; and a door 28 of any suitable type for closing the opening.

The door is actuated by a vacuum device operatively connected thereto and controlled by an electrically actuated valve. As shown, a cylinder 30 having corresponding heads 82 and 84 is suitably supported on a bracket 36. The cyl- .5- inder has therein a reciprocable double headed piston 38 and a rod 40 suitably secured to the piston extends through a stuiiing box .42 in the 'head -32. The rod has on its outer end a clevis 44 pivoted to a crank 48 operatively connected 10 to, the door 28 and sleevedon the rod between the stufling box 42 and the clevis 44 is a flexible boot 46 for the exclusion of dust and other: foreign'substances.

Valve mechanism including a casing 50 suit- 15 ably mounted on the cylinder 80- has superim- [posed thereon an air cleaner 52 communicating with corresponding air passages 54 and it arranged longitudinally within the casing in parallel relation to one another. The housing of the 2 casing 50 also has therein corresponding oppositely disposed chambers 58 and 60 each'having a small chamber indicated respectively as 58 and 60 associated therewith. The large and small chambers form at their junctions a 5 pair of oppositely disposed shoulders 62 and 64 which co-act with valve seats-68 and 88. The valve seats 66 and G8 are disk-like elements which are formed with concentric orifices I0 and I2 afiording communication between the large 39 chambers 58 and 60 and the small chambers 58 velvet {band 60 The chambers 58 and 60 intercept air passages 54 and 56 so as to vent the chambers to the atmosphere and arranged intermediate the chambers 58 and 60 is a chamber 14 of yet smaller diameter providing a communication between the chambers 58' and 50 and forming at its junctions with the chambers 58 and 60" oppositely disposed annular shoulders 16 and 18. The chamber 58 is connected by a suitablevconduit to one end of the cylinder 80; the chamber 60 is connected by a suitable conduit 82 to the other end of the cylinder 80; and the intermediate chamber 14 is connected by a suitable conduit 84 to theintake manifold l2 of the power 45 plant or engine I0. j 4

oppositely disposed solenoid housings 86 and 88 suitably secured to the-respective ends of the valve casing. 50 and opening into the'valve casing have suitably supported therein correspond- 50 mg solenoids Stand 92. The cores 94 and 96- of the; solenoids are connected as by a rod 88 having centrally of itslength a portion of in creased diameter-provided with oppositely dis- J posed flanges I08 and I02 located at the 'junc- 55 portion and the ends of the rod. Flexible washers I04 and I06 suitably secured ,on the rod 98 and seated on the flanges I00 and I02 cooperate respectively with the shoulders I6 and I8 to control the communications between chambers 58 and 60 and the intermediate chamber 14; and flexible valve disks I08 and H0 also secured to the rod 98 in abutting relation to the washers I00 and I02 cooperate with the valve seat disks 68 and 68'to control the orifices I0 and I2 providing a communication between the large chambers 58 and 80 and the small chambers 58 and 60.

Inasmuch as the suction of the intake manifold is connected to the chamber 14 and the chambers 58 and I50 are vented to the atmosphere, it, is clear that with the valve parts in a position shown in Figure 3, the chamber 58 is connected to the atmosphere, while the chamber I50 is connected with suction. Therefore,

the outer face of the washer I04 is exposed to atmospheric pressure while both faces of thewasher I86 are exposed 'to suction. The only portion of the elements I06 and H0 which is exposed to atmosphere is that which covers the,-

to the position shown whereupon'it will .stay as shown and a continuous circuit is not necessary. When the solenoid 90 is energized it moves the valve elements to the left sothat then the pressure' conditions are reversed and the valve will be held to the left by the difierentials in pressure.

Therefore, the solenoid 90 also has to be energized only for an instant of time to move the valve and thereafter the valvQ is held by diilerentials. in pressure.

An electric circuit for energizing the solenoids 90 and 92 includes a source of electric supply such as a storage battery II2 grounded as indicated at H4. The battery has. connected thereto in series an ignition switch II6, a conventional make-and-break switch H8 and a conventional. make-and-break switch I20. The switch H8 is electrically connected to a'conventional switch I22 and is operatively connected by a link I24 ,to the clutch pedal I6; and the switches I and I 22 are operatively connected by a rod I28 to the shifting lever 20-01 the transmission. The switch I20 is connected to a pair of conventional push button switches I28 (to so as to maintain the circuits normally open.

They may be operated when desired to open or close the door. The switch I22 is connected to the coil of the solenoid 80 and the switch I28 is also .connected to the solenoid 90. 'The switch I28 is connected to the solenoid 92.

- When the vehicle is at rest with the motor idling the clutch pedal lever I6 is in fully contracted position, the shifting lever 20 Bin neutral position; the switch 8 controlled by the foot pedal lever is in open position; the switchthese circumstances, the operator of the vehicle may open the door 28 by-actuating the switch I28 on the dash of the vehicle to close the circuit between the switch I20 and the solenoid 92. The closing of this circuit results in actuation of the solenoid 92 and the valve mechanism controlled thereby.

Thisactuation of the valve mechanism results in opening the orifice I0 so as to vent that end of the vacuum cylinder 30 connected to the chamber 58 by the pipe line 80 and also to close the orifice. I2 and also to close the communication of the engine connected by the pipe line 84 to the chamber 74 communicating with the chamber 60 When the communication between the manifold of' the engine and the vacuum chamber 30 is established, the piston 38 of the cylinder is actuatedby suction in the manifold and during this actuation pull is transmitted through the rod 40 of the piston to the crank 48 resulting in opening the door 28.

Assuming that the vehicle is at rest with the engine I0 stopped, then inasmuch as the intake manifold is'at atmospheric pressure, both sides of the cylinder 30 are at atmospheric pressure and the door may be opened orclosed manually. If, however, the operator desires to leave the ve hicle with the engine running, he may open or close the door by power by using the key switch I 28 as hereinafter described.

Assuming that the vehicle is at rest with the engine I0 stopped, that the clutch is in fully retracted position, and that the shifting lever 20 is in neutral position, the operator, upon entering the vehicle, first closes the ignition switch II 6 and thereafter starts the engine in the customary manner. Closing of the'ignition switch H6 completes the circuit from the battery II2 through the ignition switch II6 to the switch I20 and through the switch I20 to the switches I 28 and I28- on the dash of the vehicle. Accordingly, the operator may now close the door by actuating the switch I28 so as to complete the circuit connecting the switch I28 to the solenoid90. This results in energizing the solenoid 90 and actuating the valve mechanism controlled therebyrand thisactuation of the valve mechanism closes the orichamber 58 and the chamber I4, and closesdzhe fold I2 connected by the pipe line 84 to the chamber 14. Upon establishing this communication, suction in the manifold actuates the piston 38 and during this actuation of the piston the rod 40- thereof exerts a thrust or push on the crank 48 resulting in closing the door 28.

Inthe event that the operator doesnot close the door by actuating the switch I28 on the dash ,of the vehicle, the-door is automatically closed flee I0, opens the communication between the uponactuation of the clutch pedal lever I6 and" manipulation of the shifting lever 20 in the usual manner. On depressing the foot pedal lever I6, the switch .8 controlled thereby is closed, and

ventional positions, the switehfl-LH controlled by the shifting lever is closed. s completes the circuit from the battery I I2, through the ignition switch II8, the switch H8, and the switch I22 to '70 in shifting the lever 20 in any one of the con-- the solenoid 80, resulting in energizing of the sole hold-90 and actuation of the valve mechanism controlled thereby so as to establish communication between the manifold l2 and the cylinder 30 as hereinabove described.

With the vehicle in motion the shift lever Ill will be moved from theposition shown and the switch I20 will be moved to break the electric From the foregoing it will be clearly understood that under normal conditions of operation the door 28 of the vehicle is automatically closed immediately upon shifting the gears of the transmission preparatory to placing the vehicle in motion, and is maintained closed while the vehicle is in motion.

Although this invention has been described in connection with certain speciflc'embodiments, the

principles involved are susceptible of numerous other applications that readily occur to pertrol members.

sons skilled in the art. The. invention is, therefore, to be limited only by the scope .of the appended claims.

Having thus described the various features of the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

tion engine and a transmission and clutch associated therewith and each of which is provided with a control member, and which has a body provided with a door, in combination with vacuum operated means actuated by the engine for open- 1. A motor vehicle having an internal combusing and closing the door and which hasan electrical control circuit including switches actuated respectively by the clutch and transmission con 2nA motor vehicle having an combustion engine and a transmission associated therewith and which is provided with a control memher, and which has a body provided with a door, in combination with vacuum operated means .actuated'by the engine for opening and closing the door and which has an electrical control circuit including a switch actuated by the transmission control member and a key-controlled switch associated therewith.

, HENRY BLADE. 

